A process for obtaining hirudin derivatives from E. coli secretor mutants which entails:(1) construction of a recombinant vector on which there is located the gene coding for a hirudin derivative directly downstream of a DNA section which codes for a bacterial signal peptide;(2) transformation of an E. coli secretor mutant with the recombinant vector constructed in step (1);(3) cultivation of the transformed cells in a medium; and(4) obtaining the hirudin derivative from the medium; anda recombinant vector which contains one or more copies of a gene construct which codes for a protein consisting of a bacterial signal peptide and of a hirudin derivative, and a hirudin derivative with the N-terminal amino-acid sequence A-(SEQ ID NO: 5) in which A represents Ala, Gln, His, Phe, Tyr, Glu, Ser, Asp or Asn.

3. A thrombin inhibitor having a specific activity in the range of 21,000 to 42,000 antithrombin units/ml containing an N-terminal Ala-(SEQ ID NO: 8).

4. The thrombin inhibitor according to claim 3, wherein said specific activity is 21,000 antithrombin units/ml.

5. The thrombin inhibitor according to claim 3, wherein said specific activity is 36,000 antithrombin units/ml.

6. The thrombin inhibitor according to claim 3, wherein said specific activity is 42,000 antithrombin units/ml.

Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a process for obtaining hirudin derivatives from E. coli secretor mutants, and to a hirudin derivative with the N-terminal amino-acid sequence (SEQ ID NO: 1).

2. The Prior Art

Hirudin is a polypeptide with 65 amino acids and was originally isolated from the leach Hirudo medicinalis. It acts as a highly specific inhibitor of thrombin by forming stable complexes with thrombin and, therefore, has many possibletherapeutic uses, especially for anticoagulation therapy (F. Markquardt, Biomed. Biochim. Acta 44 (1985), 1007-1013).

The publication of the complete amino-acid sequence of hirudin (J. Dodt et al., FEBS LETTERS 165 (2), (1984), 180-184) was the prerequisite for the preparation of hirudin by recombinant DNA techniques and expression in microorganisms.

European Patent Application No. 158,564 (Transgene) discloses cloning vectors for the expression of hirudin or hirudin analogues in a host cell, especially a bacterial cell. The gene coding for hirudin is, in this case, obtained by cDNAsynthesis starting from mRNA from the leach Hirudo medicinalis. Described, in particular, is a hirudin derivative with the N-terminal sequence (SEQ ID NO: 2) and processes for obtaining it.

European Patent Application No. 171,024 (Hoechst AG) discloses a process for the genetic engineering for preparation of polypeptides with hirudin activity, in particular, in E. coli cells, wherein the cells are disrupted and the polypeptide withhirudin activity is obtained from the cell extract. A fusion protein portion which is present where appropriate can be deleted by proteolytic or chemical cleavage, and the liberated hirudin molecule can be purified.

German Patent Application No. 3,445,571 (GEN-BIO-TEC) relates to a DNA sequence which codes for a protein with the biological activity of hirudin, and to a process for obtaining such proteins from E. coli cells which are transformed with asuitable recombinant vector by lysis of the cells.

The paper by Bergmann et al (Biol. Chem. Hoppe Seyler 367 (1986), 731-740) also describes hirudin synthesis in E. coli. The hirudin is released from the cells by toluene treatment, with only low yields of about 500 ng/l A.sub.578 units of cellsbeing achieved.

European Patent Application No. 200,655 (Transgene), European Patent Application No. 252,854 (Transgene), and European Patent Application No. 225,633 (Ciba Geigy) disclose the obtaining by secretion of proteins with hirudin activity from aeukaryotic host organism, especially yeast, wherein the expression takes place on a vector which contains a DNA sequence which contains a signal peptide upstream of the structural gene. The secretion of hirudin derivatives with the N-terminal sequence(SEQ ID NO: 3) and with the N-terminal sequence (SEQ ID NO: 2) in yeast is disclosed. In this case, yields of up to 100 mg/l are reported.

German Patent Application No. 3,900,626 (Hoechst AG) discloses a hirudin derivative with the N-terminal sequence (SEQ ID NO: 4). The expression takes place preferably in yeast, using the promoter and signal sequence of the yeast pheromone geneMF.alpha. for the expression and secretion of the hirudin derivative.

All the processes described above for preparing hirudin derivatives have disadvantages, however. Thus, when yeast is used as the host organism, and the hirudin is secreted into the culture medium, relatively high yields are obtained, but thecultivation of yeast cells takes longer and is more demanding than that of bacteria, for example, E. coli. However, on the other hand, in E. coli cells, the yield is relatively low, and/or complicated isolation processes are necessary on disruption ofthe cells.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to develop a straightforward process for obtaining hirudin derivatives in which hirudin derivatives can be obtained in high yield from bacterial cells without entailing the necessity ofdisruption of the cells.

The present invention relates to a process for obtaining hirudin derivatives from E. coli secretor mutants which entails:

(1) construction of a recombinant vector on which there is located the gene coding for a hirudin derivative downstream of a DNA section which codes for a bacterial signal peptide;

The term "hirudin derivative," according to the present invention, refers to proteins which are derived from hirudin which act as thrombin inhibitors and have a specific activity of at least 10,000 AT-U/mg (antithrombin units) (Dodt et al., Biol. Chem. Hoppe Seyler 366 (1985), 379-385). The term "hirudin derivative" also comprises fusion proteins with an N-terminal fusion portion which is up to about 50 amino acids long and can be partially or completely deleted by proteolytic or chemicalcleavage, resulting in, as a cleavage product, a hirudin derivative of a specific activity of at least 10,000 AT-U/mg.

Preferably obtained by the process according to the invention are hirudin derivatives with the following N-terminal amino-acid sequence:

Where m is greater than 0, the sequence X preferably contains a proteolytic or chemical cleavage site, particularly preferably at its end. If, for example, the last amino acid in the sequence X is an Arg residue, the fusion sequence X can becleaved off by digestion with trypsin (cleavage after Arg), and the active hirudin derivative can be purified. However, it is equally possible to cleave off the fusion portion using other known proteolytic enzymes or chemical cleavage reagents. If, forexample, the amino-acid sequence of X terminates with a Met residue, the fusion protein can be cleaved by cleavage with cyanogen halides (E. Gross and B. Wittkop, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 82 (1961) 1510-1517). If, for example, the C-terminal amino-acidsequence of X contains the amino-acid sequence (SEQ ID NO: 6), the cleavage can be carried out with factor Xa (European Patent Application No. 25,190 and European Patent Application No. 161,973).

When m=0, in the process according to the invention, Z preferably represents Ala, Gln, His, Phe, Tyr, Gly, Ser, Asp or Asn, particularly preferably Ala, Gly, Ser, Asp or Asn. Maximum preference is given to a hirudin derivative in which m denotes0 and Z represents Ala.

Thus, the present invention also relates to hirudin derivatives with the N-terminal sequence A-(SEQ ID NO: 5) in which A represents Ala, Gln, His, Phe, Tyr, Gly, Ser, Asp or Asn, preferably Ala, Gly, Ser, Asp or Asn. Maximum preference is givento a derivative with the N-terminal sequence (SEQ ID NO: 1). Surprisingly, it has been possible to obtain from this hirudin derivative in the culture supernatant of an E. coli secretor mutant up to above 2 g/l medium of active hirudin.

Another advantage of the process according to the invention is that, owing to the secretion of the hirudin derivative into the cell medium, the disulfide linkages of hirudin are correctly formed under the oxidative conditions of the medium.

According to the present invention, the term E. coli secretor mutants is intended to refer to E. coli strains which show massive protein secretion into the culture medium. A process for preparing these secretor mutants is disclosed in EuropeanPatent No. 338,410. The obtaining of suitable E. coli secretor mutants can start from, in particular, E. coli DS410 (DSM 4513) or E. coli BW7261 (DSM 5231). The particular E. coli strain is initially transformed with a plasmid which contains a DNAsequence coding for a secretable protein. The transformed E. coli strain is then subjected to a mutagenesis, for example, by treatment with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. This is followed by selection for suitable secretor mutant strains. Ifthe secretable protein used is, for example, .alpha.-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase, secretor mutants can be recognized by resistance to the substance D-cycloserine, which is active on the cell wall. In addition, the secretion of .alpha.-cyclodextringlycosyltransferase (CGTase) brings about hydrolysis of the starch in the surrounding medium, which provides an additional option for selection of secretor mutants when an amylopectin azure medium is used.

Suitable as recombinant vectors for the present invention are vectors which either are able to integrate into the E. coli genome (for example, bacteriophage.lambda.) or are present extrachromosomally in the transformed E. coli cell (for example,plasmids). Plasmids are preferably used.

The gene construct which is on the recombinant vector and which codes for a protein consisting of signal peptide and the hirudin derivative is preferably under the control of an inducible promoter, particularly preferably of a trp-lac fusionpromoter which is inducible by addition of lactose or IPTG (isopropyl .beta.-D-thiogalactoside). In addition, a selection marker gene and, where appropriate, a lac repressor gene, should be present on the vector.

An example of a vector suitable for the process according to the invention is the plasmid pCM705 (FIG. 1), which can be obtained from the plasmid pCM703 disclosed in European Patent Application No. 383,410, by deletion of an NruI fragment whichis about 1 kb long. This vector contains an ampicillin-resistance gene, the gene for the lac repressor and the CGTase gene with a section coding for the signal peptide at the 5' end. A gene coding for a hirudin derivate is integrated into the vectorpCM705 in such a way that there is intracellular production of a precursor molecule with the signal peptide of the .alpha.-CGTase at its N-terminal end. The gene construct is under the control of the tac promoter. An E. coli secretor mutant strain canbe transformed with the plasmid obtained in this way.

Positively transformed clones are cultivated in a shaken flask or in a fermenter. Induction by IPTG (isopropyl-.beta.-D-thiogalactoside) or lactose is carried out when an optical density (OD.sub.600) of about 1 is reached.

The progress of the production of the hirudin derivative is then determined by means of a thrombin inactivation test (Griesbach et al, Thrombosis Research 37, (1985), 347-350). The accumulation of fusion proteins is analyzed by HPLCchromatography (reversed phase). The proportion of fusion proteins can then be cleaved off, and the resultant active hirudin derivative can be purified.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which discloses a few embodiments of the present invention. It should beunderstood, however, that the drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 shows the plasmid pCM705;

FIG. 2 shows the DNA sequence of the synthetic hirudin gene from pK152;

FIG. 3 shows the sequences of the oligonucleotide HIR1, HIR2 and HIR3;

FIG. 4 shows the plasmid pCM7051; and

FIG. 5 shows the plasmid pCM7053.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

EXAMPLE 1

Construction of the Secretion Vector

The plasmid pK152 harbors a synthetic hirudin gene whose sequence is listed in European Patent Application No. 171,024. Starting from this plasmid, a HinfI-HindIII DNA fragment which is about 200 bp in size and which comprises most of the DNAsequence which codes for hirudin was isolated by agarose gel electrophoresis (FIG. 2). The missing 5'-terminal sequence is regenerated by a newly synthesized oligonucleotide (HIR 1). The coding sequence of the oligonucleotide is shown in FIG. 3. Fusion of the HinfI ends results in a hirudin derivative with the N-terminal sequence (SEQ ID NO: 1).

The plasmid pCM705 (FIG. 1) is cleaved with PstI and HindIII. The two cleavage sites are located in the coding region for the gene CGTase, which results in a DNA fragment about 1 kb in size being cut out. PstI cleaves exactly in the regionwhich codes for the signal peptidase cleavage site.

The fragments pCM705 PstI-HindIII 6.3 kb, pK152 HinfI-HindIII 0.2 kb and the oligonucleotide HIR 1 are ligated together, which results in the plasmid pCM7051 (FIG. 4). The ligation mixture is used to transform the E. coli HB101 (DSM 1607). Colonies which show no zones of starch breakdown on selective medium containing amylopectin azure (colored amylopectin) and thus show no .alpha.-CGTase expression are isolated and purified to homogeneity. Plasmid DNA is isolated from several purifiedclones and is characterized by restriction analysis. Two plasmids which have a hirudin insert are subjected to sequence analysis of the fusion regions.

Plasmid DNA which has a correct hirudin gene construction is cleaved with NruI and NdeI, and a fragment 5.18 kb in size is isolated by agarose gel electrophoresis.

After the sequence which protrudes owing to NdeI cleavage has been filled in with Klenow enzyme, the fragment is circularized by ligation. The resulting plasmid is called pCM7053 (FIG. 5).

This plasmid pCM7053 is used to transform the secretor mutant E. coli WCM100 which was obtained by the method described in European Patent Application No. 338,410.

EXAMPLE 2

Test for Secretion of Hirudin in Shake Flask Experiments

10 ml of LB medium containing 100 .mu.g/ml ampicillin were inoculated with a fresh overnight culture of WCM100 pCM7053 to the optical density OD.sub.420 =0.1. The culture is shaken at 30.degree. C. As soon as the optical density OD.sub.420 =1.0is reached, the inducer lactose is added to a final concentration of 1%. After 48 hours, examples of the culture are taken, the cells are spun down, and the hirudin concentration in the supernatant is determined. The determination is carried out by athrombin inactivation test. Yields of up to 4000 AT-U/ml (antithrombin units) were determined (=250 mg/l).

40 hours after addition of IPTG, it was possible to determine 36,000 AT-U/ml in the supernatant (=2.25 g/l).

EXAMPLE 4

Secretion of Hirudin with the N-Terminal Sequence (SEQ ID NO: 7)

When a procedure analogous to Example 1 is carried out, but the oligonucleotide HIR 2 (FIG. 3) is used in place of the oligonucleotide HIR 1, the result is a hirudin fusion protein after cleavage off of the signal peptide with the N-terminalsequence (SEQ ID NO: 7). The accumulation of this fusion protein in the supernatant is determined by HPLC analysis using reversed phase conditions (C.sub.18 chromatography column). The fermentation of the strain WCM100 with this gene construct produceda yield of 25 mg/l fusion protein.

Active hirudin with the N-terminal sequence (SEQ ID NO: 4) can be achieved by trypsin cleavage.

EXAMPLE 5

Secretion of Hirudin with the Secretor Mutant WCM88

The secretor mutant WCM88, which was likewise obtained in the manner described in European Patent Application No. 338,410, is transformed with the plasmid pCM7053 (see Example 1). The production of hirudin by secretion into the culture medium istested in shake flask experiments and fermentations.

(a) Shake Flask Experiments--The strain WCM88 pCM7053 is cultivated analogously to Example 2. The hirudin concentration in the supernatant of the culture is determined after 48 hours. Yields of up to 1800 AT-U/ml were achieved =110 mg/l ).

(b) Production in a 10 l Fermenter--The strain was cultivated as described in Example 3. 45 hours after addition of IPTG, it was possible to detect 21,000 AT-U/ml in the supernatant (=1.3 g/l).

EXAMPLE 6

Construction of a Secretion Vector Carrying a Tetracyclin Resistance Gene

A 1.1 kb NruI-fragment of the plasmid pBR322 [F. Bolivar et al. Gene 2, 95-113 (1977)] was isolated and ligated with a linearized form of pCM7051 which was cleaved by NruI. The ligation mixture was used to transform E. coli HB101. Transformants were selected for tetracyclin resistance. Plasmid-DNA was re-isolated from a selected clone and cleaved by NdeI and AvaI. After isolation of the larger fragment by agarose gel electrophoresis, the sticky ends were filled in by Klenowenzyme and then ligated.

The resulting plasmid was pCMT203.

EXAMPLE 7

Secretion of Hirudin Using the Secretion Vector pCMT203

The secretion mutant WCM100 was transformed with plasmid pCMT203. This strain was cultivated in a 10 l fermenter, as described in Example 3. After 45 h of addition of IPTG, the yields were 42,000 AT-U/ml of hirudin.

The DNA sequence of the synthetic hirudin gene from pK152, as shown in FIG. 2, is set forth in (SEQ ID NO: 8).

While only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.